


And the world spins madly on

by RvnMrphy



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Minor Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Slow Burn, Smut, clarke griffin (minor) - Freeform, murphy is soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-24 23:08:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22325965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RvnMrphy/pseuds/RvnMrphy
Summary: Murphy needs to get out of town and start over new.He doesn't expect to run into the girl he hasn't stopped thinking about since high school
Relationships: John Murphy/Raven Reyes
Comments: 16
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

He wasn't sure where he was driving but he needed to keep going. He needed to get away, a fresh start. He drove through the night, music blaring, and once the low gas light came on for the second time he realized he should probably stop. He pulled off into the next down. It was in the middle of nowhere. Log cabins, small cozy town. No one here would know him. He could start over. 

He pulled into what he assumed was the only gas station in town and while his car filled up he went inside and asked if they knew where the closest hotel would be. The clerk laughed at him and informed him this town didn't have any hotels but there was a somewhat decent motel that always had vacancy right down the road. Murphy paid for a room for a week- he figured he could get a feel for things and make sure this could be his new home. 

That first week he decided to familiarize himself with the town, try looking for a job and a place to live. He walked into the local pub "The Dropship" and decided to check if they were hiring since he had experience cooking. The owner Sinclair hired him on the spot to start immediately, turns out their cook walked out last week and they were struggling to get by. It was just him and his niece running the place. Sinclair explained that his niece only worked some evenings and weekends because she owned the auto-shop in town so she was often busy there. 

Next thing Murphy had to do was find a place to live. Sinclair had given him the number for the town realtor so he called him up. Jasper Jordan was a very interesting character. He showed Murphy approximately three houses within his price range and then proceeded to ask him tons of questions trying to get to know him. He was sure Jasper was nice but Murphy was not a very open or extroverted guy. He settled on the first place they saw. It was a small run down one bedroom cabin but it came furnished and had an amazing lake behind the house. He signed the papers and started unpacking his car. 

He went to the store and got a few things he needed for the house and some groceries. He was finally able to relax and unwind. Over the next two weeks he worked during the days, did some work around the house and went fishing at the lake. He was finally starting to feel at home. He figured he couldn't avoid the real world much longer and finally turned on his phone. He had several texts and voicemails from Bellamy, Clarke and Emori. He couldn't listen to them yet. He sent a quick group text saying "I'm sorry I took off. I had to do what's best for me. I hope one day you understand" and turned his phone off for now. That was enough progress for now. 

Growing up he was always unpredictable, angry, and trying to prove something. He was dealt a shitty hand in life and struggled to get through his childhood. Bellamy was really his only friend and through him he met Clarke. He dated a girl named Emori for a few years on and off and while he loved her -he didn't love himself and knew he wasn't at his best so they were pretty toxic together. It pained him to think about them and how he just took off and left them behind with no explanation. They had some idea of why he left, they knew him well enough to know he needed to leave town, but it still hurt him that he left the way he did it. He spent the past year working really hard to get his shit together and really improve his life and then everything went south and he realized he just couldn't be in Polis anymore. He couldn't fix himself in the town that broke him. In the present day he poured himself another drink as he wallowed in self pity about how he was always hurting everyone that let him in. 

The more he drank the more the memories came back

_Murphy knew he couldn't put it off any longer and needed to go through his mothers things. After she died he threw everything in storage and didn't look back-until now. She had a bad heart and he always assumed that it just gave out and that's how she died, they hadn't done an autopsy -he really couldn't afford it and didn't see a reason at the time. When he was sorting through the storage unit he found a letter addressed to him in his mothers old desk. It was a suicide note. She blamed him. It was his fault his father died and she was never able to recover after that. Murphy cried as he fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor clutching the note. Hours later once he finally composed himself he went to meet Bellamy at the bar._

_Bellamy could tell something was up but he knew Murphy well enough to know he'd talk when he was ready, until then they would sit in comfortable silence and drink._

_"I killed my mother" he finally spoke_

_Bellamy nearly choked on his whiskey "I'm sorry-what?"_

_"I found a note today when I was cleaning out her shit. She killed herself. Said it was my fault"_

_"Murph- you know that's not true. She was a drunk she wasn't thinking clearly. You were a kid. It wasn't your fault."_

_"I'm the reason my dad was murdered. I'm responsible for that awful accident junior year with Raven, I'm the reason my mom killed herself. Fuck. I didn't even know my mom, killed herself until today. How do you even recover from this?"_

_"I don't know man. I'm really sorry. But you can't blame yourself. Shitty things just happen sometimes"_

_"This town is just cursed. I can't be here anymore. I can't get past everything that happened here." And with that final sentence he threw some money on the counter and left. When he drove home he packed up everything he needed and he took off with no destination in mind._

Time passed by relatively quickly once Murphy gets into a schedule. The weather is getting colder so he works on the house more to ensure it'll be warm during the cold months. He gets a little depressed when the lake freezes over and he realizes he will have to wait a few months until he can fish again. 

The following Saturday evening he was working at the pub when he finally came face to face with Sinclairs niece. Although to be fair he knew who it was the second he heard her voice. 

"Table one needs a Burger with ---" she stopped abruptly once she looked up  
He stared at her. No way. No fucking way.  
"Raven?"


	2. Chapter 2

"You have got to be kidding me. John Murphy?! What the fuck are you doing here?"  
She snapped  
"I was about to ask you the same thing. I drive ten hours away to a small town in the middle of nowhere. How are you here?!!!" He was in shock  
"Burger and fries. Table one" she said quickly before storming off.  
He cooked the meal as he pretended to not hear Raven and Sinclair fighting in the back office. Raven fucking Reyes. He could not believe he was really seeing her again. 

He thought back to high school. She had only been at Polis for one year but he remembers her very easily. They were rivals. It also didn't help that Murphy was mostly responsible for her leg injury. They had crashed into each other during a bad ice storm and she was left with nerve damage in her leg. Once he was able to escape his car he sat with her until the ambulance showed up. Murphy always felt guilty after that but she never acted like she was hurt-he had to admire her for that. After the accident they got along the same as before, still rivals who constantly bickered but their relationship or whatever you could call it seemed to have layers. He was disappointed when he didn't see her for senior year. 

The smell of food burning snapped him back to reality. "Fuck!" He yelled as he had to toss that food and start a new order. Within a few minutes he heard her stomping up behind him giving him an earful about how her tables order still isn't ready and how he needs to shape up to work here. He rolled his eyes and looked at the clock. 5 hours left of his shift. He could do this. He needed this job and it's not like they work every shift together. Hell this is the first time he's seen her since he started a few weeks ago.

\------  
During a shift a few weeks later the town was celebrating its 50 year anniversary at the pub. The music was playing loudly and they were all dancing. It felt good to let loose like this after so long. He looked over and saw the big smile on Ravens face as she twirled around. He sat down on a barstool to grab a drink and his ears perked up at the next song that played 

_I woke up and wished that I was dead  
With an aching in my head  
I lay motionless in bed  
I thought of you  
And where you'd gone  
And let the world spin madly on_

He couldn't stop watching her as he listened to the lyrics. His mind drifted back to the accident, waking up in the hospital, seeing her back at school acting as if nothing happened, he thought of how he felt when he found out she wasn't returning senior year and he remembered how often he spent wondering what happened to her. Suddenly he felt so overwhelmed he had to run out into the back alley to get some fresh air. 

He leaned against the brick wall and lit a cigarette trying to calm down and bring himself back to the current moment. He was hunched forward with his hands on his knees breathing heavily trying not to panic. Suddenly the back door opened 

"What the-" she started but the second Raven got a look at him she knew not to pick a fight. She walked over and hunched down next to him. She didn't speak she wasn't quite sure what to do. She hadn't seen him this vulnerable in ten years and she felt a pang in her heart at the memories. She finally reached over and grabbed the cigarette from him. When he looked at her to question her she responded with "no use wasting a good cigarette and I haven't seen you take a drag since I got out here so I'm going to do you a favor and bum this one from you" 

He genuinely laughed and finally started to feel at ease. His breathing calmed down over the next few minutes and once she finished with her cigarette she went back inside. After a few moments he followed with a smile on his face. 

\-------------

The relationship between the two of them shifted after that night. They still snapped at each other often and he was constantly pushing her buttons but it felt as if a friendship was forming between the two of them. They no longer ignored each other during closing, instead they'd listen to music while they cleaned up the bar and had some light conversations. 

One night, after a particularly rough shift she turned to him after locking up "feel like ice cream?" 

"Reyes, it's about 30 degrees outside and you want ice cream?"

"Yes. Let's go" 

When they were sitting in her car eating ice cream he finally got the nerve to ask her "why didn't you come back for senior year?" 

She quickly answered with "moved here. It all happened quick" then she added teasingly "are you trying to say you noticed my absence?"

"Of course I did Rey, you sure make a lasting impression." He laughed

______________________

After a rather long shift where nothing particularly bad happened other than just having the Monday blues they both posted up at the bar for some shots. 

"Do you remember that time you tried to make a bet with me that you could get us out of that chemistry exam?" Raven asked?

His face lit up at the memory and he started to chuckle. It was one of his favorite Raven memories. She had surprised him when she set off a stink bomb minutes later in the chem lab, it was so bad they had to evacuate the school

"I still remember the look on Dr Tsings face when she first realized what was going on" he said as they laughed the kind of laugh where you struggled to breathe. 

Eventually their laughter stopped and the moment became heavy

After a bout of silence he finally spoke "You could've said goodbye all those years ago.i know we fought all the time but you had to know I'd care." He threw back his shot. 

"I could have. I left because things with my mom got bad. Too bad to handle. I barely survived the school year, as soon as the last day ended I took off and came here to live with my uncle. He took me in"

"I'm sorry Raven. I had no idea."

"Don't be sorry Murphy, it was what it was and it worked out in the end. I do feel bad I never said goodbye but things were hard enough as they were and saying goodbye to you and that friendship that we developed would've been too hard. I just had to focus on leaving."

"Believe me. I get it." He smirked at her

They spoke a little longer about some other memories from high school and when they finally locked up he decided to walk her home. He loved living in a town where he could walk everywhere-even in the cold he would rather walk than drive. Murphy was surprised to find out Raven lived only a few doors down from him. He thought to himself that he should probably pay more attention to his neighbors, embarrassed it took several months living here to realize Raven lived a stones throw away. 

"Meant to tell you the cabin looks nice, you do good work," she says to him before going inside her home.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a Friday night and their shift ended early due to a bad storm causing the power to go out. After all the customers left Raven and Murphy were left to close up. Raven used some flashlights to illuminate the bar and she poured them shots

"Let me get your number-you might not need to come in tomorrow if the power is still out so I can send you a text so you don't have to trek out here"

"It's fine I don't mind walking here and I can just get some extra exercise if the power is still out"

"Why are you being weird?"

"Don't judge me. I don't have a phone."

"It's 2019 who doesn't have a cell phone??" 

"Someone who doesn't want to be reached" he grumbles

"Suit yourself." She pours another shot for the both of them before they need to leave.   
When she goes to open the door she turns to him

"Looks like we are crashing here tonight."  
"What?!"  
"Look for yourself"  
He looks out the door behind her and in the twenty extra minutes they've been drinking the weather has turned to a full on blizzard. 

"There's blankets in the back and the booths are surprisingly comfortable to sleep on"

"Don't forget the unlimited booze- hey it'll assist us in keeping warm!"

She shook her head but had to laugh. She went off to get blankets and when she came back Murphy had made two old fashions. 

"Since we're stuck here might as well tell me why it is you don't have a phone. What are you running from and don't even try to act like you're not running from anything. Don't forget you're talking to an expert"

He smirked "I just had to leave that town. It was filled with bad memories and it's really hard to turn your life around when you're living smack dab in the middle of the town that took so much of you." He said as he finished his drink

She leaned over the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey refilling both their glasses. "I get it. Honestly, back when I knew you I always thought you'd take off as soon as school was done."

"I thought about it, but I couldn't afford it and I didn't know where to go. Which seems stupid now since a few months ago I took off in the middle of the night and drove until I couldn't drive anymore."

"Hey you weren't ready back then, but you were now. It's okay. It'd be hard to leave the place where your father was buried"

He forgot he told her. After the accident when they were waiting for the ambulance he had told her about his dad and all these years later she remembered. He couldn't speak. She looked up at him and knew where his mind had gone

"I remember that day John, do you? I remember everything about that day. I don't blame you one second for what happened. If anything you saved my life. Talking to me to distract me, helping stop the bleeding- all while you were bleeding out yourself."

His mind flashed back to that day. 

_The roads were awful. There was snow everywhere. He knew he shouldn't have been out driving but he just wanted to get home. He should've just stayed at work. He tried stopping at the stop sign. His car slid right threw it and right into her, he's not sure how long he was unconscious for but when he woke up and realized what happened and that it was Raven his adrenaline kicked in and he escaped his car after several moments. He carefully made it to her car and climbed in next to her he felt for a pulse and was relived to find one. He tapped her arm "Raven. Raven. Wake up. Please. Please wake up!!"_

_He heard her groan and start to come to. He called 911 from her phone quickly and talked to her to help distract her while putting pressure on her wounds. He told her how she'd be okay because she was determined and strong and she had this. Raven had asked him to tell her stories. He told her about the various pranks he pulled that landed him in detention, he told her about how he had taken an overnight shift so he could afford rent since his mom was an unreliable drunk. Raven was able to relate. He took his coat off to cover her while they waited for the ambulance. It was freezing out. He remembered hearing sirens before he passed out. When he came to he was in the hospital with internal bleeding, a concussion and head wound. Raven had gone into surgery. He didn't see her again until over a week later when she returned to school. She acted like that day never happened so he never brought it up._

"I remember Raven. But you always acted like you never did. That day changed me, it changed how I saw you." 

"I never brought it up because I didn't think you'd remember it. You were bleeding so bad and then you passed out and I heard you had a head injury."

"I just figured you blamed me like I blamed myself" he yelled

"I didn't blame you, and the blaming yourself stops now. It was the weather Murphy. You did everything you could. You helped save me. I'm sorry, I should have said something to you afterwards but I didn't want to make things awkward." 

"Fuck Reyes." He exhaled "I was so worried about you. I thought you were going to die and then we just never spoke of it again, as if it wasn't life changing."

She stood up and walked closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You saved my life that day. It was a lot to process that the same asshole I fought with constantly is the only reason I'm still alive today. I'm sorry I'm well over ten years late but thank you Murphy." 

He was still processing everything she just said but he finally got control of his body and he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. He didn't even know he was crying until he felt her thumbs wipe away his tears. Suddenly he laughed 

"Well that's a quick change of emotions?" She asked quizzingly

"I'm not an emotional man, I rarely show my feelings-yet multiple times around you I turn into a blubbering baboon" he laughs "what the hell is it about you Raven."

She chuckles. He moves his hands up to her face and looks her in the eyes. 

"I'm serious Rey. What is it about you? You calm me down just by standing there, you get me to talk about my thoughts, feel my feelings, you make me a better me." He moved his head closer towards her 

"Murphy" she gasped as her eyes closed. He crashed his lips into hers.


	4. Chapter 4

The moment his lips touched hers he felt a spark he's never felt before in his life. She returned the kiss instantly and he felt her tongue part his lips to deepen the kiss. He ran his hands down her sides and over her ass lifting her and he let out a moan when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He sat her on top of the bar and broke the kiss only to continue with opened mouth kisses along her jaw. Things moved quickly and before he knew it they were both naked with Raven laying on the bar and him on top of her. he looked at her eyes and asked "you sure?" She nodded and pulled him down for a kiss. He would never forget the sounds she made when he entered her, and with the way it felt he didn't know how long he could last. 

Raven met him thrust for thrust- she was just as into this as he was. He couldn't get enough of her, once he felt her climax he was a goner and he came inside of her several thrusts later. They laid there for several minutes trying to catch their breath. He finally moved off of her and stood up off the bar holding out a hand to help her down. They both got dressed and resumed their spots at the bar, Raven leaning over the counter to grab a fresh bottle of whiskey. He spoke as she filled two glasses passing one over to him

"So..." He looked at her with a smirk on his face

"Don't make it weird Murphy" she clinked her glass against his and smiled at him. 

They drank a lot and talked a bit about the past few years, Raven wasn't incredibly open about her life but Murphy didn't press as he wasn't always open either. They ended up talking about Clarke, Bellamy and a few other classmates from their high school days. He asked about her shop and loved the way her face lit up when she talked about the work she did. He couldn't help himself and reached over to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear letting his hand linger a moment too long. 

"We should probably get some sleep and hope the power comes back soon"

She nodded

The booths weren't very spacious so he was surprised when she curled up next to him to him. He couldn't even bother feeling cramped or uncomfortable- he was sappy enough to feel like he could stay this way forever with her. He turned and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back to his chest. He smiled when he felt her lace her fingers with his. He kissed the crown of her head and drifted off to sleep peacefully. 

When he woke up in the morning her hair was covering his face. He could tell the power was back because the heat was on. He was sweating with Raven up against him and blankets covering them. Ok, so last night really had happened. He wasn't sure how to approach this situation; play it cool, confess his decade plus long crush on her, make a joke about it? He wasn't used to having feelings and panicking like this. He decided to get up as quietly as possible and get a glass of water and make some eggs for himself and Raven. If she was feeling anything like him the hangover was instant. The moment he stood up he heard her whine

"Get back here-you were warm"

He covers her with another blanket and kisses her forehead with promises of food

They eat together in a comfortable silence and then Murphy starts to clean up the dishes and Raven puts away the blankets. Murphy turns on the jukebox while she's putting blankets away in the back. When she comes back he holds a hand out to her. He's relieved when she grabs his hand and comes close putting her other arm around his waist and resting her head on his chest. Swaying back and forth

_You turned me into somebody loved  
Nights when the heat had gone out  
We danced together alone  
Cold turned our breath into clouds  
We never said what we were dreaming of  
But you turned me into somebody loved  
Someday when we're old and worn  
Like two softened shoes  
I will wonder on how I was born  
The night I first ran away from you  
Now my feet turn the corner back home  
Sun turns the evening to rose  
Stars turning high up above  
You turn me into  
You turn me into  
You turn me into somebody loved  
Somebody loved  
Somebody loved _

He kissed her cheek and they parted as the song ended and realized they needed to be heading home soon-Raven had to open the autoshop and Murphy well he just wanted to sleep away his hangover. He couldn't decide if he was dizzy from the hangover or his time spent with Raven the past night. 

He tells her "I'll just go grab my backpack and I can walk you home"

She smiles up at him.  
Murphy is back in the break room when he hears someone come in. He jerks his head up at the sound of the bell above the front door ringing.

"Raven! Hey babe!" It was a mans voice.  
Babe...? Was he hearing this right? Who the fuck is this guy. He stayed up against the wall in the break room and out of sight. He could feel his body filling with anger. He tried to listen but he could barely hear over the pounding of his heart.  
"Finn...hey..."


	5. Chapter 5

He could hear the panic in her voice. He was torn between being concerned for her or angry at her. Murphy's had his fair share of one night stands and it's not like he's never been the other guy before but this was different. He put all his cards on the table with her, he was vulnerable with her, he let his guard down. Fuck. He heard her apologize for not coming home the previous night and then they were out the door. He sank to the floor and just waited for awhile trying to figure out who that man was and why Raven failed to mention he existed. 

He went home and after drinking some more and destroying a few things he was able to pass out for awhile. He was lucky not to have shifts the next couple days with Raven but he knew he couldn't avoid her forever. He passed by her as he was leaving his day shift three days after the incident- she was coming in to start her shift. He glanced at her quickly and had to look down because he was still so angry.   
"Murphy" he heard her say barely above a whisper  
He looked at her and looked into her eyes, he didn't speak he just softened the more he looked at her longingly, anger quickly turning to lust.   
He started to reach out towards her as she moved closer to him and he was now so close to her he could smell the lavender of her shampoo and feel the heat radiating from her. Just as his lips are ghosting over hers he pulls back saying "I can't"  
"You won't even let me explain"  
"I can't be the other guy. " he swallows. "Not with you Raven." And it took all the strength in him to walk out 

He didn't care that it was pouring down rain. He just wanted to get home. His heart was racing. He quickly tossed back several shots and threw himself on the couch pouting. He knew he couldn't just hide away and wallow forever. He didn't want to turn into a drunk like his mother. He walked over to his kitchen and opened a drawer pulling out his phone and turning it on. He ignored all the missed calls and messages and immediately opened up his contacts and found her name.  
She picked up after three rings.  
"Murphy!!!?"  
"Clarke. Listen. I'm sorry I've been off the grid. But I just need to talk"  
"What's going on? Are you okay?"  
"I knew the second I kissed her that everything I thought in my head was real, the chemistry, the connection, fuck. She just turns me into a sappy mess and yet she was cheating on her boyfriend, husband, whoever the fuck he is...with me. I was just some pity fuck."  
"Wait! What's going on? You're drunk Murphy- just sleep it off"  
"You don't get it. I think I love her."  
"Who?"  
"Raven Reyes. Raven. Fucking. Reyes. Turns out she lives here."  
"Oh Murphy...."

Clarke was able to talk him down a little and he promised her he'd be better about keeping in touch. There was something Clarke had said to him that he couldn't get out of his head. She said Raven always cared for him so she wouldn't just use him. He knew Clarke and Raven were friends back in high school, and Clarke was the only person who knew he had a crush on Raven back then. She had pretty much been the one to help Murphy realize he had a crush on Raven after witnessing a blowout between the two of them in gym class

_"you're totally into her!" Clarke squealed  
"No I'm not!" He said angrily  
"That exchange between you two was just so hot I need to change my pants" Clarke joked  
"Fuck off" Murphy laughed  
After a few moments of silence Murphy spoke again   
"Oh fuck"  
"Did you finally just realize it?"  
"Fuck fuck fuck" he mumbled  
Clarke smiled in victory "told ya" _

He turned on the stereo and just needed to drown out his thoughts for a bit, he couldn't handle memories right now. So it only made sense that this song comes on right now where he can't think about anything other than Raven. 

_watch the sun go down  
Then I wander round  
It's here then it's gone  
Love doesn't last too long  
I didn't even have time  
To get it straight in my mind   
To catch up from behind  
To see that I was blind  
And I wish I was wrong   
Love doesn't last too long _

He finally passes out and when he wakes up in the morning he decides to get out, breathe some fresh air. Ultimately he goes for a drive with the windows down and music blaring. He's about 15 minutes into his ride when he hears a noise. He lowers the radio and hears it again, suddenly he sees smoke coming from under the hood.   
"Fuck" he pulls the car over. He doesn't have a phone to call a tow truck so he starts the trek to Ravens auto shop. When he hesitantly walked into the shop all his worries were washed away when he heard the music blasting. 

_Be my thrill  
My little white pill  
My unpaid bill  
The one who will  
Be my love  
My little grey dove  
My push and my shove   
My heaven above  
And we tumble down like jack and Jill  
And I miss all of the joy you kill  
But I love you still  
Be my thrill _

He always had a soft spot for The Weepies, every song of theirs just made his mind drift to Raven since she introduced him to the band back in high school. He took a deep breath and walked over to the counter ringing the bell. The volume of the music was suddenly lowered and he could hear shuffling coming from the back room. He could feel his nerves coming back as he waited for her.   
"Hey!" She greeted him "I was hoping I'd get to see you soon, we should talk"  
"I'm not sure there's much to talk about. Listen. My car broke down, you're the only shop in town-can you just call a tow and take a look?" He cut straight to the point. He could tell from the look on her face she was upset but it was Raven and she would never let that prevent her from doing her job.   
"Yup, I'd say I'll call you once I know what the problem is but I know you don't have a phone so you can stop by tomorrow and I should have an idea of what's going on."  
He set the keys on the counter and went to turn away when he heard her call after him  
"Murphy please"  
"What Rey?"  
"I know you're pissed. Can we just talk?"  
"Yes Raven! I'm pissed at you. I'm furious. I let my guard down. I fell for you Rey. That's not something I do easily"  
She moves closer to him and reaches out to touch his arm "John. I'm sorry"   
She's so close he can feel her breath on his cheek when she speaks. He looks down at her and catches her looking at his lips, he looks down at hers and surges forward passionately kissing her. Once he has a taste of her he can't stop, he kisses down her neck getting territorial and leaving a small mark behind her ear. He felt her thrusting her hips towards him and he moved his hands from her face to her arms and from her hips down to her ass; lifting her up and carrying her over to the counter.   
When he placed her on the counter she wrapped her legs around his waist keeping him close. He slid his hands under the hem of her shirt pulling it off and gazing at her chest. She lifted her hips off the counter and he got the message she was trying to send and helped her remove her pants. He was completely hard at the fact that she wanted him so bad and that anyone could walk in and catch them.   
She tugged his boxers and pants down and then leaning into him whispering "please"  
He groaned at the sound of her voice and what it was doing to him. He lined up with her entrance and could feel how wet she was. He caught her moans with his lips as he pushed into her. He knew this wasn't going to last long, he wanted her so bad and it felt so good. He moved his hand using his thumb to give attention to her clit and he could feel her orgasm approaching. Hearing her scream his name was enough to send him over the edge. After he finished he held her close for awhile until their breathing evened out and he finally had to pull out of her and tuck himself away so she could quickly get dressed.   
"I need you to know, it meant something to me Murphy. You. You mean something to me."  
"Then who the hell is Finn?"   
The door to the shop opened which startled them, disrupting their moment when Raven had to go tend to her customer.   
Murphy gave her another longing look as he left for his shift.


	6. Chapter 6

Raven came in towards the end of his shift that night. The bar was busy so he at least had some excuse for avoiding her. He knew he couldn't resist her and there was no point in trying so the best he could do was keep busy and put off dealing with the situation. Raven ended up jumping behind the bar to help out and they kept catching the other with lingering glances. At the end of the shift Raven locks up and starts cleaning up. Murphy realizes he's been a dick and pours two shots once he cleans up. He takes a seat and puts one of the shots in front of the empty seat next to him. Murphy makes eye contact with Raven looks towards the seat next to him then starts talking. 

"I was 18 when my mom died. She had a bad heart, was an alcoholic, it was devastating sure but it wasn't a huge shock."He tossed back his shot and Raven refilled his glass and took a seat while he continued talking   
"I threw all her shit into a storage unit and it took nearly a decade for me to go through everything. When I went through her desk I found a letter addressed to me. Turns out my mother killed herself. She blamed me saying I was responsible for my fathers murder and..."  
She places a hand over top of his and rubs his palm win her thumb in a soothing gesture as he continues talking   
"...She didn't have a reason to live because I was the reason she lost everything she loved. It was the final straw for me. I had to escape that town, I needed to be better and I couldn't do it there. So I got in the car and drove until I couldn't drive anymore. And fate brought me here" he smirked at her

She smiled shyly at him. They fell into a comfortable silence for awhile. After a few moments she cleared her throat and began to speak "I fell in love with Finn when I was 22 years old. He was really nice and funny and he just seemed perfect. He became my family, we got married on a whim when I was 24."   
She chuckles "God I was so young and so stupid and missed so many red flags. He helped me set up my shop, I couldn't have afforded it without him. I don't know if things with him changed drastically or if I just finally started to see him for who he really was."  
It was Murphy's turn to fill up her glass. He noticed she was still holding his hand so he flipped his around and squeezed her hand- this time he was rubbing soothing circles on the back of her palm. 

"I feel like as I grew up and became more comfortable and confident in myself I realized somewhere along the line I settled for the first guy that loved me."

"He wasn't the first guy that loved you" it slipped out before he could even comprehend that he just kind of admitted he loved Raven first. 

"What?"

"You said you settled for the first guy that loved you, but if he treated you like that he didn't really love you, you deserve to be loved" he covered 

She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand

"Can I ask why you're still with him?" He asked hesitantly 

"I've been saving up for the better part of a year to afford a great lawyer so I can leave him. I don't want him coming after my shop, it's my livelihood, I've poured everything into that place." She tossed back her shot.   
Murphy filled up both their glasses and sipped his as he listened   
"I knew I didn't love him when I came home a year ago and walked in on him screwing some red head, he didn't even see me. I just turned around and walked out. I didn't even care. That's probably horrible of me to say but I stayed with him until I was in a position to be able to leave him."

He let go of her hand and stood up. He could hear her catch her breath quickly in panic. He was seething with anger towards Finn, sadness towards Raven and just an overwhelming need to comfort her. He surprised her and placed his hands on her shoulders turning her towards him and pulled her in hugging her tightly. He kissed the top of her head and felt her let go; soaking his shirt in tears and falling apart.   
"The night I spent with you was the greatest night of my life. You showed me everything I'm missing."

"Rey" he breathed out while he hugged her, nestling his head close to hers.   
They stood there quietly for awhile, not needing to exchange any words, he just needed to hold her and be in this moment for a few more minutes.   
He finally steps back to walk over and turn on the music, he walks out to the dance floor and holds out his hand waiting for her to take it and join him. He smirked at her while she walked over. It was instant sparks the moment her hand touched his he pulled her close and smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He settled his hands on her waist and swayed along to the music. He could feel her smile as she recognized the song playing.

_You know there will be days  
When you're so tired that you can't take another step  
The night will have no stars  
And you'll think you've gone as far as you'll ever get  
But you and me,  
Walk on, walk on, walk on  
Cause you can't go back now   
And yeah  
Yeah  
Go where you want to go  
Yeah, yeah  
Be what you want be  
If you ever turn around you'll see me  
I can't really say why everybody wishes they were somewhere else  
But in the end the only steps that matter  
Are the ones you take all by yourself  
And you and me  
Walk on, walk on, walk on  
Cause you can't go back now_

Once the song ended they stood there for a few moments before he felt Raven pull back. She looked up at him and stood up on her toes to kiss him. It was a soft kiss, a kiss Murphy was not familiar with, a kiss he wanted to feel over and over again. He moved his hand up to her jaw and when she let a moan escape he deepened the kiss. She kissed him back passionately and he didn't need to take this any further. He just wanted to kiss her for awhile. He couldn't remember the last time he was okay with just kissing someone, not even just okay with it but thrilled by it. He knew it was getting late and they needed to head home, it didn't mean he had to be happy about it. Once they parted ways and gathered their keys they headed towards the cabins. He had to smile when she reached over to grab his hands. He gave her hand a squeeze and laced their fingers together, their walk ended far too soon for his liking. They said goodbye with a long kiss and he watched her walk away. He wasn't naïve, he knew things were complicated with her. What he also knew was that she was worth any storm he had to go through and he wanted to support her through everything however she'd let him.


	7. Chapter 7

Murphy wrapped up his conversation with his friend at the bar and walked into the kitchen. Raven came in shortly after and resumed her position behind the bar. She had never see the lone guy at the bar. She went up to start a friendly discussion and they got along great. His name was Nathan but everyone called him by his last name- Miller. He tells her how his boyfriend is a surgeon at the hospital a few towns over and he's a divorce attorney.  
"Based on your body language when I told you what I do....I'm thinking you might need this" he slips her his card.  
"Thanks," she smiles "maybe someday."  
Raven couldn't focus the rest of the night. She kept feeling like this was a sign. Meeting Miller, randomly, it was the answer she's been waiting for for years. She couldn't just ignore this. She asked Murphy to handle closing the bar and rushed out. She really needed to go for a long walk and think. 

The next morning she called the number on the card. They arranged to meet for coffee that day.  
"Hey Raven!" He greeted her with a friendly hug  
She returned the hug, she wasn't sure what it was about this man but she trusted him instantly. They both sat down and after he asked her to explain everything going on she told him the truth about what's been going on. He explained to her what she could expect and the process of what would happen. At the end she thanks him and asks about financial costs. Miller responds "Don't worry about it, this is pro bono. A scum bag like Finn doesn't deserve to take everything you've worked so hard for. Plus, Murphy speaks very highly of you."  
"Wait...Murphy?!"  
"We go way back, and for Murphy to talk about someone the way he talks about you... I just had to meet you."  
"Thanks Miller." She can barely contain her blushing as she says goodbye and heads out the door. 

Raven is touched by the fact that Murphy called in his old friend to help her out. She could finally leave Finn. Miller worked quickly and Finn was set to be served tomorrow. She decided to pack up most of her shit now so Finn wouldn't hold it hostage. She stores everything at the shop or in her car. Finn is set to come home from work soon so she knows she has to get going. She can finally breathe. She just wants to feel safe. She has no destination in mind at first but next thing she knows she's pounding on the door.

He opens it surprised to see her "Rey' what's going on?"

She barged in "Why did you do that for me Murphy?"

He swallowed. Suddenly nervous. He couldn't answer. He just stared at her until he was finally able to look away

"John...why did you do that for me?"

"Raven..." He couldn't finish the sentence 

"Forget it" she turned and started to walk away. 

His heart started racing- he couldn't lose her- not again. He grabbed her wrist and spun her around pulling her close "you know why." And he kissed her. She kissed him back instantly. He slid his hands to her ass and she jumped into his arms wrapping her legs around his waist. She broke the kiss to say "bedroom" and they stumbled towards his room together. He tossed her onto his bed and took off his shirt before climbing back over her. He lifted up the hem of her shirt and started kissing up her stomach, and chest, raising the shirt until she helped him remove it. She surged forward kissing him deeply and he returned the kiss, grinding his hips against hers. When she broke the kiss to let a moan escape he started kissing down her jaw and neck leaving marks behind her ear, along her pulse point, and making his way down her chest. They were in a frenzy to shred the rest of their clothing.  
"Tell me what you want Raven"  
"You. I need you inside me. Please" she moaned  
She was dripping so he had no problem sliding into her. They both gasped at the feel.  
"God Murphy. I feel so full"  
"You take me so well Rey, I love the feel of you"  
He was hitting her at all the right angles, she was screaming his name and he could feel her clenching around his cock. "I'm going to cum Raven"  
"I want to feel you cum inside me"  
And with that he was gone. 

They cleaned themselves off afterwards and he pulled her back down into the bed  
"Stay" was all he said and she smiled and curled into him. He rubbed her back and ran his fingers in her hair and before he knew it they were both drifting off quickly. Murphy woke up in the morning to Raven going down on him. He thought it was a dream but when he woke up and saw her brown hair and her head bobbing up and down he groaned in pleasure. He fisted her hair and moaned her name "Rey, fuck. You're so hot." He felt her tongue flicking around the head of his shaft and then when she licked from base to tip and hollowed out her cheeks sucking him he didn't even have time to warn her before he came. He pulled her up to his mouth and kissed her.  
"Good morning" she said laughing  
"Shit Rey. You're fucking perfect."

He would've spent the whole day with her curled up in bed. He wanted to tell her to ignore her phone ringing but he didn't. He was naive to think things would be perfect so quickly. He could tell something was wrong by the tone of her voice, she rushed off the phone and looked at him with tears in her eyes.   
"My shop."  
"Raven what's wrong?!"  
"My shop is gone. He set it on fire"  
He held her tightly, he was able to put together what was going on, he wasn't going to force her to explain more. Apparently the police had called to let her know Finn broke into her shop and destroyed the place before starting a fire. The fire department was able to put out the fire but the damage was drastic, the police arrested Finn and granted Raven a restraining order. The whole thing was exhausting and by the time the day was over she was exhausted.   
As they left the police station he grabbed her hand and said "let's go home, you're staying with me"  
She couldn't even put up a fight she just leaned into his side and he wrapped his arm around her pulling her close. The walk home was a slow one, but he enjoyed having her by his side.   
When they got back home Raven sat on the couch while Murphy went to get some water, when he came back she was already asleep. He carried her into the bedroom and tucked her into bed. Once he knew she was asleep he left. 

There was no way he was going to sleep. He had to keep cool around Raven but he was filled with rage. How could someone do this to her- she didn't deserve this. He walked back to her shop and started cleaning. He had stopped by the bar and picked up a broom, some flashlights, a hammer, garbage bags, and a bucket and some soap. It was around 10:00PM when Murphy got started- he wiped down the walls, swept up all the soot and debris, took out the remainder of the broken windows and hammered up some plywood he found. He did all he could for the night and locked up before heading home, by the time he got home it was almost 4AM. He quickly showered then crawled into bed pulling Raven close to him as he drifted off to sleep. 

They slept in late the next day and it was after 2PM by the time they got out of bed and moved to the couch. Murphy ran some errands and came back with lunch for them. Raven decided she wanted the day off, she needed to reset and then starting tomorrow she was going to clean up the shop and get started. She made a list of supplies she would need and took a long relaxing bubble bath. Around six Murphy cooked some burgers and fries for them to eat while they watched movies. He knew her guilty pleasure was romantic comedies so he was hesitant to hand over the remote but he finally gave in. She surprised him by picking Iron Man, he smiled remembering this was one of her favorite movies due to the inventions. He grabbed beer for them and then put his arm around her as they sat back and enjoyed the movie. By the time they were on the third movie Raven was falling asleep on his shoulder. 

He carried her into bed and tucked her in before he slipped out again around 11. When he ran errands earlier he picked up some tools, drywall, plaster, primer, 2 windows and lots of wood. So tonight at the shop he tore down all the walls that were damaged and put up new drywall and plastered in between sections, he replaced the broken windows and sealed them in. Finally he painted a fresh coat of primer and then locked up. By the time he showered and went to bed it was almost 6AM. 

Raven woke up around 8, Murphy was holding her tight. She flipped around so she could see him. She loved the scruff on his face, his hair everywhere, his bare chest, he really was someone she could stare at for hours. She frowned when she focused on his face; even asleep he looked so exhausted and worn down. He had huge bags under his eyes and she just wanted to let him sleep. She slipped out of bed and got ready for the day, when she was getting cereal she heard him come out of the room. 

"Morning, you look exhausted"  
"Way to make me feel pretty Reyes" he joked "what's on the agenda for today? I took the day off"  
"I want to go see the shop and get started, it's going to take forever to get it back to what it was."  
"I'll join you" he smiled. He loved the idea of being there for Raven. She wasn't a woman who needed anyone to take care of her but he was able to be her person and try to ease some of the stress. He held her hand as they walked to the shop, she wouldn't have any idea until she saw the inside. Raven always entered her place through the back and the window near the back didn't have damage. She stopped once they got near the door and stood still for a moment trying to prepare herself for she walked in he stopped her and pulled her in for a hug. He held her tight for a few moments and pulled away encouraging her to go in.   
"Go ahead, I'm right behind you."  
She opened the door and her jaw dropped. Tears started slipping down her face as she took it all in. She turned around and saw his smirk   
"You did all of this...."  
"It was nothing"  
"It was everything" she said as she walked towards him  
He smiled at her and pulled her to him as soon as she was within arms reach  
She grabbed his face and kissed him, it only lasted a few moments but it was meaningful and passionate.   
She pulled back and looked at him "I love you, you know" he said to her   
"I know" she said squeezing him tight before pulling away to look at the building.  
He was leaning against the door jam to her office as he watched her admiring the new walls-she still had to pick a paint color and a lot of work still needed to be done. Ravens mind was running wild at all the possibilities she had in front of her, there was still a lot of work ahead of them but he had done so much for her in such a short time.  
"I love you too, you know" she said as she turned around to smile at him  
He pushed off the door jam and walked towards her grabbing her hips before leaning in and whispering in her ear "I know." He heard her breath hitch and he started kissing her neck down to her collarbone, hands sliding around to her back and down her ass, he pulled back and she surged up to meet him, opening his mouth with her tongue and deepening the kiss, he slapped her ass as a sign for her to jump up and he lifted her, backing them up and turning around so her back was against the wall.   
"Raven" he moaned as he pressed up against her, circling his hips so she could feel his hard length. He moved his hand around slipping it into her waistband and sinking two fingers into her immediately. "You're so wet" he said as he planted kisses down her neck. Her head fell back against the wall as she moaned in pleasure and opened her neck to him, he sucked a bruise onto her neck as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. He felt her getting close so he pressed down on her clit with his thumb and rubbed quick circles. She moaned his name as she came all over his hand, pulling him by the shirt and kissing him rough and dirty. He pulled his hand out and licked off her juices.   
"I need you, now" she said as she unbuckled his pants pulling his cock out and stroking him a few times  
He tugged her pants and underwear off quickly and rubbed his cock against her slit pushing into her as he held onto her. He wanted to take his time with her, make love to her but that had to wait. Right now he needed to fuck her fast and hard and he knew that's what she needed too. His finger dug into her hips and ass as he thrust into her hard, she slipped her hands under his third she scraped her nails down his back as she met him thrust for thrust. She bit down on his neck, soothing it over with her tongue  
"You feel so good, no one else can fuck me like you"   
"You take my cock so good. Fuck." He was getting close  
"I want to feel you cum inside me" she whispered, and like that he finished, she came undone alongside him. 

"I can't believe you did all this for me"  
"Are you kidding me? I'd do anything for you"

SIX MONTHS LATER 

The insurance check had come in and the renovations to the shop were completely paid off. Raven had been open for week now, after his shift at the bar he walked to her shop so they could head home together. Raven never ended up finding s place of her own, he didn't want to- her being there is what made the place feel like home. When he walked into the shop she was dancing to "Be my thrill" by the Weepies. That was the same song he walked in on her dancing to awhile back. He was always catching her dancing but something about the way her face lit up and how free and relaxed she was when this song came on. 

"Fuck I love you." He said out loud   
She turned around and smiled at him and lowered the music.   
"Marry me?" He blurted out   
"What?!" She was caught off guard   
"Marry me. Raven I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I can't wait any longer to ask you- Ive always known the way I felt about you, nothing ever felt right with anyone else and when I saw you again..." He got down on one knee "When I saw you again after all this time I knew I never wanted to go that long without you; you challenge me, you help me grow, you make me a better man. I want to give you the love you deserve and spend forever showing you what you mean to me. Raven, what do you say- be my wife?"  
"Let's go" he face lit up  
"What?!" He stood up   
"Right now. Let's go to the courthouse. I want forever to start now"   
"I take that as a yes?"  
"Yes you idiot!"   
He smiled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out to the car. 

They got married at the courthouse, Sinclair met them there to be their witness. Afterwards they went back to the dropship to celebrate with free drinks-this time it was Raven that turned on the juke box, stood out in the middle of the dance floor and held out her hand to him. He smiled as he joined her. 

_Found a book you gave me  
When we were first in bloom  
When I thought that you might save me  
From the dark side of the moon  
Instead we both went walking  
Through the shadows and the gloom   
And we never did stop talking  
And you still light up the room  
I say, I was made for sunny days  
I made do with grey, but I didn't stay  
I was made for sunny days  
And I was made for you  
Ooh the nights are longer  
Ooh you make me stronger   
And the late light lingers on the grass  
And the nights are dark but then they pass  
They don't seem so deep  
I'm still losing sleep but I don't mind  
No I don't mind_

"I love you, you know." She said as they swayed to the music   
"I know." He smirked  
He felt her bury her face into his neck and hold him tighter   
"I love you too, you know." He whispered into her ear  
"I know" he could feel her smile as she spoke


End file.
